Mission Down Under
by TaggertShare
Summary: While assigned to spy on No Heart Secret Bear discovers a plot to unleash a Cloud of Uncaring over an Australian City. Surprise Bear is chosen as an advisor for a Caring Mission due to a Human friend's knowledge of Fremantle and Perth. However it is five other Bears who are chosen for a Caring Mission to the Land Down Under. Champ learns why a certain Australia song is so popular.


Prologue: This story is not all Fiction. Some of the events and People are real. I did disguise things and names a bit to protect privacy. I avoided using dates for the same reason. I will say that The Bell Tower was built some years after I was in Perth.

This is partly based on three glorious days I spent In Perth and Fremantle Australia while I was in The United States Navy. I will tell you more after you read my story:

No Heart laughed evilly as he and Beastly lowered an object into the River. The stout rope tied into the eyehook could be a giveaway if spotted. No Heart uttered a Spell and the Rope disintegrated. They walked away from the River into a Park.

"There, it is done" No Heart said with an evil gleam in his eyes. "It is set to activate after the next New Moon. The Timer will begin a countdown when The Bells are next rung after that. Even underwater the device's sound detector should pick up the sound and vibrations of all those infernal Musical Bells. The flotation device will then pop out and it will float to the surface. When the timer goes off the Bells will now toll for those Humans who care for others. Now let's get out of this wretched place before we are spotted."

"Gee Boss, can't we visit for awhile?" Beastly was curious about this land No Heart had decided to bring evil to. No Heart hissed "we can't risk being seen. Abbra Kazeer, we are out of here!" There was a puff of smoke as he and Beastly disappeared.

Behind an oddly shaped tree Secret Bear made notes of what she had heard and witnessed. She had been assigned to spy on No Heart. Unfortunately she was too far away to get a clear view of what No Heart had done. Her ears had picked up an important clue though. She sighed as she looked around her. How she wished she could stay and learn more of the delightful land she was in. However she needed to get the information she had gathered back to Care-a-lot immediately. Human lives may be at stake.

Surprise Bear giggled as she showed Cheer the ring on the fourth toe of her left foot paw. "It is a white gold band with a black Opal stone. It was given to me by a Human friend. The one from the place on Earth called Maine. He got it from a jewelry store in a place called Perth, Australia. It no longer fit well on his ring finger so I asked if I could try it. It did not fit well on my hand paws so just for a kick I put it on my toe. It is a perfect fit. My Human friend said I looked really cute this way and gave it to me."

As Cheer stared at Surprise's foot she asked "so how did your friend end up with a ring from Australia?" "He was on a big ship in The U.S. Navy" said Surprise. "I think it is a type called an Aircraft Carrier. He showed me a picture taken of it when it arrived off Fremantle. Some of the crew assembled on deck to spell out HELLO PERTH! ! Then one of their helicopters took a picture for the local Press. He said he was in the O. He said the three days he spent ashore there were three of the best days of his life."

They were interrupted by The Caring Alarm. They made a mad dash to The Hall of Hearts. Soon a myriad of Bears and Cousins were assembled in The Hall. All listened intently as Obsessive Bear spoke. "As you know things have been quiet around here. No Heart had not been seen or heard from for several weeks. Secret Bear has just returned from a spy mission. She found out No Heart and Beastly took a vacation on Earth to The Land Down Under. I am afraid it was a working vacation."

Brave Heart looked puzzled. "The land down under what?" Surprise Bear giggled. "She is talking about the place called Australia. It is in the southern part of the Earth under the Equator. I have a Human friend who has told me all about it."

"Well" said Obsessive Bear. "We need to assemble a Caring Mission to Australia. We have reason to believe No Heart has planted a device to unleash a Cloud of Uncaring over a place there called Fremantle." "Oh" said Surprise. "I was just telling Cheer about Perth Australia and what my Human friend told me. Fremantle is next to Perth. My Human friend has been there too!"

Obsessive Bear's face lit up. "Good. I am assigning you to act as an advisor to the Caring Team I am assembling." Soon she and Brave Heart had chosen Champ, Funshine, Share and Grumpy to work as a team. "No Heart was over heard by Secret Bear as he boasted to Beastly. He said something about how the bells will now toll for those Humans who care for others. It may be a clue as to where he may have hidden a Cloud of Uncaring Generator. Here are Detectors built like watches. Wear them on your wrists. They should help you hone in on the Cloud Generator's location."

Obsessive Bear turned towards Oopsy. "Brave Heart and I decided Oopsy will be assigned as the Cloud Car driver." "Why does Oopsy get to drive?" grumbled Grumpy. Share laughed. "Probably so he won't be in Brave Heart's and Obsessive's fur! He drives them nuts sometimes." Grumpy cracked a half smile. "Well at least he does something right once in a while."

The Caring Team studied a map. Surprise pointed to a land mark. "Here is Fremantle and Perth is there. Here is the Swan River." She moved a polished claw along the map. "Here is Cottlesloe Beach." Funshine's face lit up. "Alright! A beach! I hope I get a chance to put my foot paws in the sand and get my fur wet!" Surprise had a puzzled look on her face. "Well it is Spring in Australia so I am not sure just how warm it will be. Australia is in Earth's Southern Hemisphere. Their seasons are opposite of the Earth's Northern Hemisphere. Most of our Caring Missions have taken place in the North."

Surprise then turned to Share. "Share, if you get the chance can you buy a Black Opal ring with a white gold band. I would like to give it as a gift to my Human friend to replace the one he gave me. His finger is a size 7 ½. That is 17.3 mm in case they measure in Metric. Here is some Australian money. Don't ask where I got it." "I'll try to find one if I have time" said Share.

"They speak English in Australia with a delightful accent" continued Surprise. "My Human friend used to imitate it for me. We also watched a Human television show from Australia. They are nuts about a song called 'Waltzing Matilda'. My friend sings it all the time." The other Bears were surprised as she started singing "Once a jolly swagman camped by a billibong, under the shade of a coolibah tree, and he sang and watched and waited 'til his billy boiled, you'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me." When she had finished she handed each astounded Bear a slip of paper. "Here is a list of slang words and phrases. Be careful that you don't say or imply the wrong thing! This is our chance to spread The Care Bear cause into Australia."

Grumpy looked at the list. "Hey, when no Bear is looking I just may try some of their Amber Liquid!" "Grumpy, you know we are supposed to avoid all alcoholic drinks except for Bumble Berry wine" said Share. Funshine laughed. "Grumpy may be on to something. All this Caring leaves little time for a Bear to relax. Besides we all have heard about your little stash of hard stuff, Share!"

Share's nose darkened in a blush. "Just for that I will no longer share any of it with any of you." "Hey you Bears" yelled Oopsy. "The Cloud Car is fired up and ready to go." "I don't like hearing the words 'fired up' when it is said by Oopsy" groaned Grumpy as he threw a knapsack in the car. "Then sit here in the back with me" said Share. As Oopsy started driving the Cloud Car True Heart waved her paw. "Good Luck and happy hunting!" True Heart turned to Surprise Bear. "Too bad you can't go. I guess Brave Heart and Obsessive were afraid you might sneak off to Maine again."

As Oopsy drove the Cloud Car Funshine and Champ studied the map. Then they all studied the word and phrase sheets Surprise had prepared. They didn't notice as the Cloud Car made it's jump into The Fourth Dimension. In unison they looked over the side of the Cloud Car when Oopsy yelled "we are at the initial point!" "Wow, look at that" said Funshine. "Perth is a nice looking city from up here. That must be the Swan River below us now." "Look over there" said Share. "I bet that is Fremantle."

Champ stared over the side of the Cloud Car. Then he looked at the map. "Hey, we need a place to land. How about Sir James Mitchell Park? It is near the river. Plus we may be able to land there without Oopsy landing on some poor Human." "Sounds good to me" Grumbled Grumpy.

Soon they were safely down in the Park. "See, I didn't hit no Humans" said Oopsy. Champ grinned. "No you didn't, but you did crush a tree. I wonder if it was one of those Coolibah Trees Surprise sang about in that song." As they got out of the Cloud Car Grumpy said " you stay and guard the Car, Oopsy. If any one comes near just hit the Cloaking Device. Stay near the Car so you don't lose it when it is cloaked!"

"Ah Grumpy, I've only lost it twice that way. Bring me back some food and some souvenirs, you Bears. The food I packed into my Caring Kit won't last forever." Oopsy crawled into the Cloud Car for a nap. The others had walked a short distance when they were startled by a voice. "G'day Mates! Are you some of those legendary Care Bears I read about on my computer?"

They turned to see a girl of about twenty with reddish brown hair. Funshine remembered one of the slang terms Surprise had shown them. "Are you a Shiela?" The girl laughed. "Well you are a boy and I am a girl. However I am a little too young to be anyone's Shiela. My name is Elena. Can I help you with anything?" "You sure can" said Share. "Is there a jewelry shop around here?"

"We are not here to buy jewelry, Share" mumbled Grumpy. "Why not" said Funshine. "It is as good a way as any to look around. We just may stumble across a clue to aid our search." Elena laughed. "Follow me. I hope you don't think we are rude here. However you may get a few stares. We don't see many Care Bears in Australia."

Soon they were in a little jewelry shop. When Share had explained what she wanted the jeweler quickly found the perfect Ring. Then Share decided to get one for herself as well. As her finger was measured the clerk said "my, you have bloody small paws." Share giggled. "Surprise's Human friend is right, you Aussies have a delightful accent." The jeweler laughed. "To us it is you that has the accent. If you were a Human I would swear you were a Yank."

Soon the clerk had slipped a new Black Opal ring on Share's finger. Share clutched a bag that had the ring requested by Surprise. Champ noticed a brooch. On a whim he bought it. "Some day I just might find a Girl worthy of this." Grumpy frowned. "Enough of this jewelry stuff" he grumbled. "Is there any place we can freshen up without drawing attention to ourselves?" "My apartment is nearby" said Elena. "Why don't you come to my place. My Room Mate would love to meet some real Care Bears!"

Soon they were in a little Flat Elena shared with another girl. They were University students. The girls had heard that most Care Bears don't eat meat that comes from a mammal. They served their guests Fish and Chips. "It's too bad most of you don't eat meat from mammals. I often cook up some fried steak and potatoes." "Hey, I would eat that" said Grumpy. Funshine laughed, "you are known to eat most anything, Grumpy."

Champ wolfed down his food. "This is good. You girls are great cooks." "Thank you" said Elena's roommate. As they finished eating their meal Share said "my Sister says you Australians like a song called 'Waltzing Matilda'. She has a Human friend from The U.S.A who is nuts about that song. Do you have a copy of it?"

Elena's roommate laughed and grabbed a CD player. She rifled among some CD's. She put one in the player. "Here is Slim Dusty's version. By the way Waltzing Matilda is slang for walking about with all of one's Worldly Possessions in a pack." As the song started playing Champ said "wow, it is a great song!" Elena grabbed him by the paws. "How about Waltzing Matilda with me?" " I don't know how to Waltz" said Champ. "I guess we will have to Dance Matilda".

Elena laughed. "Then let's Dance Matilda." As Champ danced with Elena he thought to himself "if only she were a Care Bear. I am really going to miss her and this place when we leave." Elena had similar thoughts. As she gazed at this half bear half Human like creature she was amazed at how adept he was on his feet. As the song and dance ended Champ and Elena laughed. "That is a great song" Champ said with a broad smile on his face.

Meanwhile the other Bears sat at the table. "Get over here, Champ" said Grumpy. "We have some planning to do." As they sipped Bergamot Tea The Bears discussed the best clue to the Cloud of Uncaring Generator's where about. Share sighed. "No Heart said the bells will now toll for those Humans who care for others. That can mean a lot of things."

"I couldn't help to over hear you" said Elena. "Do you have a map?" Soon she was pointing to a place on The Bears' map. "Here is Riverside Drive, it is along side The Swan River. Here is The Bell Tower. It has eighteen Bells. As you can see it is not far from Government House."

"That just might be it" said Champ. "Being near the River would give a Cloud Generator ample water to form water vapor. It takes a lot of water vapor to form a big cloud." The other Bears concurred. Meanwhile Share stare out a window at the Moonless sky. She suddenly had a revelation. "Oh gosh, I just thought of something. No Heart is a Pagan who believes in the power of a Full Moon. A New Moon is also important to him. Tonight is a New Moon night. I fear No Heart may be about to unleash his Cloud of Uncaring"

"Darn it Share, for once you may be right" said Funshine. "We need to complete our Mission as soon as possible." "The Bell Tower usually opens at 10:00 AM" said Elena. "You may need to find what you are looking for before then." "It looks like we have some early morning work ahead of us" said Grumpy with a frown.

It was getting late and all were tired. They would set out early in the Morning to search the waters of The Swan River near The Bell Tower. They thankfully found places to sleep in the little Flat. Grumpy nearly smiled as he lay in a fold back lounge chair. Elena and her room mate soon discovered some Care Bears snore.

Meanwhile Oopsy lay atop The Cloud Car and admired the view. There was no Moon Light or clouds to dim the stars. He could hardly wait to tell True Heart that he had seen The Southern Cross. "This is the life" he said to himself. "I used the Dimensional Force Field so no Human could see me make a fire. I boiled water for my coffee over a Billy just like the hobo did in the song Surprise sang. The tree I crushed while landing made great fire wood. Being a Swagman would be an interesting way to live Life. Surprise's Human friend was right about Australia. A Caring Mission Down Under leaves one stoked!"

Very early in the morning Elena's guests said their goodbyes. "Best of luck to you all" said Elena as The Care Bears stood on the doorstep. "When it comes to caring you Bears are Dinky-di! Send me a message as to how your mission goes today." As the other Bears stepped away Champ turned to Elena. "You are a very special Girl, or should I say Sheila." For a poignant moment they held hands and paws. Somehow they ended up exchanging a kiss. It was a moment Champ would never forget for the rest of his life.

Oopsy was daydreaming when his wrist communicator beeped. He lowered the Dimensional Field and soon was reunited with the rest of The Caring Team. He wolfed down the Tea Biscuits Share had brought for his breakfast. As he ate the others told him about The Bell Tower. "How are we going to search near there without drawing attention" asked Oopsy.

"Gee, we should have brought a boat" said Share. "Hey, we did!" Grumpy said. "This Cloud Car can hover and move slowly over water. If we slowly move just over the river we will look like a high tech water craft. Who knows, we may get mistaken for a rich Human in his fancy little Boat!" "Great idea Grumps." Champ turned towards Oopsy. "Can you do that without sinking us?" Oopsy laughed. "Let's give it a burl."

Near the Swan River two Men were talking. One pointed to an odd looking boat on the river. "The bloke who designed that boat must have a kangaroo loose in the top paddock!" In that 'boat' Grumpy looked appalled as he watched Oopsy drive. Grumpy muttered to himself under his breath "gee, he drives even worse than Share! I may end up with grey fur before this is over!"

Share closed her eyes as they nearly hit a small boat. She wriggled closer to Grumpy and then grabbed on to him for dear life. Grumpy smiled. "Hey, this is a nice ride after all" he thought to himself. Funshine tried to stand up and nearly fell overboard. He yelled as he pointed to a uniquely shaped building. "Hey, I think that may be The Bell Tower over there." Oopsy throttled down and steered toward the shore.

Share's nose darkened in a blush as she let go of Grumpy. "Hey, my watch is beeping" she said as she shook her wrist. "So is mine" said Champ. "We must be near The Cloud of Uncaring Generator. These wrist detectors may really work. You wanted a swim Funshine. Jump overboard and search the bottom." He quickly tied a rope to the leg of his seat. "Here, take this rope with you. Try to tie it to the Cloud Generator if you can."

Funshine was glad he had not had a fur trim for awhile. The water was a bit cold as he tried to see under water. He could hear his wrist detector even under water. He used it's variations in volume to hone in on his target. He literally bumped into it. Using sight and feel he found an eye hook on the Cloud Generator. He tied the rope to the eyehook. He surfaced and was quickly hauled aboard by Champ. He was gasping for breath.

He was finally able to speak. "I got the rope tied to it" he said between breaths. It felt like the Cloud Car would tip over as they all hauled up on the rope. Soon No Heart's evil device was dangling over the side of their unconventional "boat". Champ's keen eyes spotted what looked like a timer on the Cloud of Uncaring Generator.

"Some Bear get me a piece of wire so I can try to jam this timer. It is nearly 10:00 AM. The Bell Tower will open soon. The Bell may well toll for us if they ring the Bells in The Tower." Share took something out of the curls on her head. "Here, every Bear knows one of the best tools is a fur pin." Champ quickly jammed the fur pin under the timer's minute hand. All breathed a collective sigh of relief as Champ declared "by golly I think that worked!"

Grumpy nearly jumped out of his fur as a multitude of Bells began to ring. All stared at the Cloud Generator fearing the worse. They heard a few ticks. Then the minute hand of the timer hit fast against the fur pin. The ticking stopped. "Well I'll darned" said Grumpy. "Share, your fur pin just may go down in Care Bear History." Share giggled in relief. "What do we do with that horrid thing of No Heart's?"

"Can you fly us over The Indian Ocean with that Cloud Generator attached to the side of the Cloud Car?" "Of course I can, Champ." Oopsy carefully followed the river until they were over the sea. When they were well out at sea with no land in sight Champ cut the rope and the Cloud Generator fell into the depths of the Indian Ocean. "I hope it lies undisturbed forever on the bottom" said Champ. "Now fly back to Fremantle, we have one more thing to accomplish."

Elena was wistfully sitting on the outside steps. She would miss the Bears that had been her guests. She would especially miss Champ. Suddenly she smiled and looked up. She could hear someone singing up in the air. A small package fell nearby. As she picked it up she could hear Champ singing "you'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me". She waved as the Cloud Car flew away and then faded as it made a jump to The Fifth Dimension.

Elena found a brooch and a note in the package. It was from Champ. It read "mission accomplished. We thank you and your room mate. I wish I could thank you personally but we need to get back to our own dimension. We may be different Species. We may be separated by another dimension. This brooch is a gift to remember me by. I fervently hope I can someday return to Australia and go Waltzing Matilda with you."

Elena smiled and looked up into a beautiful Australian sky. "I can hardly wait to get a chance to see you again Champ" she said to herself. That night and many more she and Champ would be in each others dreams. For each a certain song would always evoke memories to last a Lifetime.

Epilogue: I still have the Black Opal ring. I "danced Matilda" with the Clerk who sold it to me that night. She and her friends told me and two of my Shipmates of a Beach we must visit. There I met two College aged girls who invited me into their Home. I ended up staying more than that afternoon there. There was a Poignant moment as I said Goodbye to one of them before making a mad dash to a waiting Taxi. I had to get back to our Ship. To this day I don't know how I managed to get back on Board in time with out being AWOL. "Waltzing Matilda" will always be a favorite song of mine. Not too long ago I dreamed I was back in Australia in that little apartment. I hope someone in Australia still has fond memories of me and perhaps an old Newspaper clipping of a certain Ship's arrival. Yes, I was in the "O" of Hello Perth! !


End file.
